Field of the Invention and Related Art
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image formation system, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The electrophotographic image formation system forms an image on a recording material through an electrophotographic image formation type process. The electrophotographic image formation system may be used in electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (an LED printer, a laser beam printer or the like), an electrophotographic printer type facsimile machine, an electrophotographic printer type word processor or the like.
The process cartridge is a cartridge containing as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and charge means, developing means or cleaning means (process means), the unit being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge is a cartridge containing as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one of charge means, developing means and cleaning means (process means), the unit being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge may be a cartridge containing as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least developing means (process means), the unit being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The unit is an assembly which is demountably mountable as a whole to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Examples of the unit include a fixing unit for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording material, thereon, a developing unit for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a feeding unit for accommodating the recording material.
The memory member is mounted to the process cartridge or unit and stores information relating to the process cartridge or the unit. The memory member may be a FERAM, or a non-volatile memory such as a ferromagnetic memory or the like.
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process, use has been made of the process cartridge type system in which the process cartridge comprises as a unit the electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the unit being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. With the use of the process cartridge type system, the maintenance operation can be carried out in effect by the users without the necessity of relying on a serviceman, and therefore, the operability is improved. For this reason, it is widely used in the image forming apparatus.
For further easier maintenance operations for the main assembly of the image forming apparatus and for the process cartridge, the following method is used. A storing element (memory or storing means) is provided in the process cartridge, and the servicing information is stored in the storing element. When the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, a connector provided in the main assembly of the apparatus and a connector provided in the process cartridge are connected to each other. Through the connectors, the information in the storing element is taken by the main assembly of the apparatus. The main assembly of the apparatus discriminates the time of exchange of the process cartridge or the like, on the basis of the information. By doing so, the user is prompted for the maintenance operation of the process cartridge and/or the main assembly of the apparatus.
When the connectors are used for the electrical connection between the storing element provided in the process cartridge and the main assembly of the apparatus, the configuration of the process cartridge is complicated to permit the connector to be mounted. Therefore, the process cartridge tends to be bulky.
The present invention is intended to provide a further development of the above-described structure.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming system, wherein there is provided a storing element for storing information, and the information stored in the storing element can be transmitted to the main assembly of the apparatus through an antenna.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming system, wherein there is provided a storing element for storing information, and the information stored in the storing element can be transmitted to the main assembly of the apparatus when the storing element is out of contact with the main assembly of the apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming system, wherein there is provided a storing element for storing information, and the information stored in the storing element can be transmitted to the main assembly of the apparatus through wireless communication.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process cartridge, an electrophotographic image formation system and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a gap between the memory antenna and the main assembly antenna can be maintained accurately.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic image formation system for forming an image on a recording material, the improvement residing in that
when a process cartridge is mounted, to form an image on a recording material, to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a main assembly antenna covered with a main assembly antenna outer casing member, the process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive member, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a storing element storing information, a memory antenna for communication with the main assembly antenna, and a memory antenna outer casing member for covering the storing element and the memory antenna,
positioning is effected for a gap between the memory antenna and the main assembly antenna by contact between an outer surface of the outer casing member and an outer surface of an outer casing member of the main assembly antenna.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which has a main assembly antenna covered with a main assembly antenna outer casing member, the process cartridge comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member; process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive member; storing means for storing information; a memory antenna for communication with the main assembly antenna; and a memory antenna outer casing member covering the storing element and the memory antenna; wherein when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, positioning is effected for a gap between the memory antenna and the main assembly antenna by contact between an outer surface of the outer casing member and an outer surface of an outer casing member of the main assembly antenna.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising:
(a) a main assembly antenna covered with a main assembly antenna outer casing member;
(b) a mounting portion for demountably mounting a process cartridge which comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive member, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a storing element for storing information, a memory antenna for communication with the main assembly antenna, and a memory antenna outer casing member covering the memory antenna;
the apparatus further comprising:
(c) feeding means for feeding the recording material,
wherein when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, positioning is effected for a gap between the memory antenna and the main assembly antenna by contact between an outer surface of the outer casing member and an outer surface of an outer casing member of the main assembly antenna.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.